Hawarden, Iowa — Forty to fifty round hay bales were destroyed in a fire on Thursday, May 11, 2023, near Hawarden.
According to Hawarden Fire Chief Duane Schiefen, at about 7:30 a.m., the Hawarden Fire Department was called to the report of hay bales on fire at 3851 Cleveland Avenue, four miles east and six and a half miles north of Hawarden.
The chief says the fire department saw the bales on fire as they approached the scene. He says they moved the bales out to a field, broke them apart and sprayed water on them to douse the flames.
Schiefen says no injuries were reported.
The fire department was assisted by the Ireton and Hudson firefighters.
He says the cause of the fire is undetermined at this time.
According to prices recently paid at the Rock Valley Hay Auction, the 40 to 50 bales that were destroyed would have been worth roughly $4500.
He says the firefighters who responded were on the scene three to four hours.
